Summer Basketball Resumes in Area

By Chris HowlJune 20, 1985

Little has changed for Maryland's annual assortment of summer basketball leagues: most of Montgomery County's high school athletes will play in the Kennedy and Blair leagues; the majority of Prince George's in the Falconers League.

And some teams will venture into the District to play in the Sidwell Friends or Jelleff Leagues.

About the only significant change this summer is the creation of the pro-style Anheuser Busch King Cobra League, which will add flavor to a summer basketball schedule already known for its vast talent.

The eight-team Cobra league opened play June 11 and will finish July 25. Games are Tuesday and Thursday.

But the old standby for most Prince George's players is the Falconers League, which plays at Largo High School and again boasts a number of top teams.

League entries include Suitland, Forestville, Central, Crossland, Douglass, Eleanor Roosevelt, Fairmont Heights, Friendly, Gwynn Park, Largo and Potomac. Games are played Monday through Friday. Competition will continue until July 16.

Seventeen teams compete in the Kennedy League, 10 of those Montgomery public schools. Newcomers for the league's 14th season at Kennedy High School are Maryland Class B state champion Wilde Lake, St. Albans of the Interstate Athletic Conference, Bladensburg, Bowie, Oakland Mills and privately sponsored Columbia Sports World. Class AA runner-up Wootton is one of the top teams in the Gold Division, along with Churchill and Wheaton.

The Green Division is led by Bethesda-Chevy Chase, Rockville, Magruder and IAC representative Bullis. The league, which plays Monday through Thursday, opened June 11 and will end July 25.

Kennedy League members B-CC and St. Albans also participate in the 20-team Blair League, which began June 3 and will finish July 19. Divided into two divisions, the league has a number of a good teams, among them DeMatha, St. John's, High Point and Blair in Division I and Northwestern, Paint Branch, Carroll and Gonzaga in Division II.

The major girls league in Montgomery will be played at two sites: Western area teams will meet at Walter Johnson, and Northern area teams at Magruder. Prince George's County will have a league at Eleanor Roosevelt.

Montgomery's 12-team Western League has several good competitors this year. Wheaton won the AA state title this year and should be among the league's best, along with Woodward, Churchill, Magruder and Wootton. Private schools Holy Names, Regina, Georgetown Visitation and Holy Child will also participate through Aug. 8.

The Roosevelt league is made up of 13 teams. Suitland, Fairmont Heights, DuVal, Potomac, Largo, High Point, Friendly, Forestville and Roosevelt all represent Prince George's County, along with private schools LaReine and Seton.

The Greenbelt school is the site of games Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 6:30, 7:45 and 9.